When Times Are Trying
by CJS51703
Summary: Grillby's daughter gets sick and must be hospitalized for a few days. And that means he also has to come in contact with his ex-wife...
1. Chapter 1

*****Hello, everyone! These are the random ideas that strike you. Now, I know nothing about medical... stuff, so cut me some slack here. I just wanted to try something new with some characters I don't write about often. Grillby and Ember (that's my name for her, the little green flame girl in Hotland) belong to Toby Fox, the nurse belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter One: Losing Air**

Grillby thought it would be a normal day, really. Just working at his bar (which was a big success on the surface) until three, then he would get his fifteen-year-old daughter from school. The green flame elemental, named Ember, would be at home on her own for a little while, then Grillby would come home to her. Simple as that.

Well, that was the routine when Ember stayed her two weeks at her father's house.

Anyways, the day was going pretty normally until Grillby felt his phone buzz in his pocket as he wiped down some glasses. He put down his rag and picked up his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Is this Ember's father?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Miss Corinth. I'm the school nurse at Ebott Central High School. And I think you need to get down here."

"What's wrong?"

"Ember was brought with a friend, and he explained that she started having a lot of issues breathing. I gave her something to ease that, but she's here and she's still having trouble."

"Okay, I'm coming. I'm coming right away."

Then, Grillby hung up. He knew that breathing issues were an _especially _bad problem for flame elementals. So, he turned to a cat monster working nearby.

"Cathryn? Can you let the manager know that I'm stepping out?" he asked. "Yes, of course. What's the situation?" Cathryn asked.

Grillby replied curtly, "My daughter."

XxX

It took fifteen minutes to get to the school. Grillby went right to the nurse's office, as lead by an office assistant.

A woman greeted him. "You must be Ember's father. She's right in here," she, assumably Miss Corinth, said.

Grillby went inside and saw Ember sitting in the chair there, gasping. _Dad_, she mouthed.

"Can you give her anything else?" Grillby asked, bending down to rub Ember's back.

"I've given her all I can," Miss Corinth said.

_Help,_ Ember mouthed. Notably, her green flames were a bit dimmer than before.

"You were sick after all. Instincts weren't wrong after all. I assumed you had a small cold," Grillby said. _Not bad at first, _Ember managed to mouth. She was having more and more trouble, even with that much.

"Well, it's bad now. Come on. I signed you out already," Grillby said. He helped Ember up and out to his car. As she sat in the backseat, Grillby felt worry fill him.

If a flame doesn't get oxygen, it goes out.

So if a flame elemental isn't able to breathe...

*****Hey, I didn't get a C+ on my science exam for nothing. Anyways, things will pick up soon, don't worry. So be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

*****Hello, everyone! I'm back again with this chapter. I don't have too much to say, other than the fact that the summary begins to come into full play here. Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, the nurse and Cyra belong to me, and let's roll!**

**Chapter Two: Sending The Message**

Ember had been admitted right away. That left Grillby in the waiting room on that floor. He filled out the forms, but his mind was other places.

He figured that it was a respiratory illness, but those could be deadly-well, especially deadly for flame elementals. Anything that stopped the air in the fire could put the fire out.

So, Grillby filled out the papers, checking boxes and scribbling information. He'd been done for about twenty minutes before a nurse came in. "Are you finished with those forms?" she asked.

"Yes. Here they are," Grillby said as he passed them over. "Well, have you heard anything on Ember?"

The nurse nodded. "A close call with a bad case of pneumonia, really. We'll keep her for a few days, just to monitor her and make sure she's okay during treatment. Does her mother know about this? She said once her breathing steadied out that her father brought her, and I'm assuming that's you," she said.

Grillby felt a bit... offset at that mention. "Her mother and I are divorced. We... really haven't contacted each other in a while. I didn't think to call her, I was in such a panic," he admitted.

"Well, you calling your wife is up to you. I'll let you know when you can see Ember," the nurse said. Then, she left, the papers in hand.

Grillby took out his phone. He scrolled through his contact list until his bespectacled eyes caught onto a name: Cyra. His ex-wife, and the mother of his child.

They hadn't spoken to each other in a decade, if not more. They'd only come close to contact by dropping Ember off at the other's house every two weeks.

But still... Cyra had as much of a right to know about this as Grillby did.

With a sigh, he called the number.

"It's strange that you finally decided to call me."

"Cyra, please, this is important. It involves Ember too."

"What is it?"

"She's in the hospital. She's got a bad case of pneumonia, and it nearly caused her flame to go out. The doctors are treating her now, so I haven't gotten to see her yet. But a nurse told me that she's in stable condition just now. I just... though that you should know."

"Alright. I'm coming to see her. But not you!"

"I was expecting that."

With that, they both hung up. Grillby put his phone away. As if his afternoon hadn't been long enough...

*****I hope to have another chapter up by Thursday, because I'm leaving on Friday to go on a trip to New York for a few days, although I am working on another one-shot. But we'll just see about that! Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	3. Chapter 3

*****Hello everyone, I'm back from New York! It was fun and tiring alike. Also, I saw things so weird that it made me feel like one of the gray blobs from the episode of Fairly Oddparents where Timmy wished that everyone was pretty much an NPC... Anyways, Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Three: Reunion All Around**

Half an hour later, Grillby was no longer the only one in the waiting room on the floor. A petite, blue flame elemental came in. "Cyra," Grillby said, his voice even.

Cyra walked over and sat down next to him. "Have you heard anything about Ember?" she asked, cutting right to the point.

"Nothing beyond what I told you on the phone. Doctors haven't come to me since before I called you," Grillby shrugged.

Cyra sighed. She leaned forward, her eyes cast to the ground.

Grillby looked at her, mimicking her position. "She's stable, you know. It's just treatments now," he said.

Cyra was quiet at first. "My baby girl could've died," she whispered at last.

"But she didn't," Grillby replied. Cyra glared at him for a moment... but she couldn't keep it.

After a few minutes, a doctor finally walked over to them. "You two are Ember's parents, right?" hea sked. Grillby opened his mouth to confirm that, but Cyra stood up first and nodded.

"You must be the mother. Anyways," the doctor began, "you can see Ember now. She's on a breathing tube, and she's had a lot of different medicines, so she's probably out it. However, you can follow me and we can go see her."

When the doctor lead the way, Cyra was on his heels and Grillby trailed behind.

XxX

The three arrived at the right room pretty soon after that. Ember was drifting in and out because of everything she'd been given. There was indeed a breathing tube poked into her nose. Her chest had a SOUL-rate monitor on it. But her chest x-rays hung on the wall, and they didn't exactly look good. "Hi," she said softly.

Cyra sat down next to her and took her hand. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I can breathe now. But the doctors gave me a lot of medicine and poked and prodded me. So I'm a bit sore and I'm really tired. I only stayed awake after it because Dr. Holland said that he was getting my parents," Ember explained.

Grillby made sure to go to the other side of the bed, but he went to her side nonetheless. "Did he saw how long you have to stay?" he asked.

"A few days. Until my chest clears up," Ember said.

"Why, do you gotta run off to your restaurant again?" Cyra asked accusingly. Grillby sighed, rubbing his face. "Not now," he said.

"I don't feel like listening to you two fight. Even if you hate each other, I want some peace with you both here. Just for now," Ember said.

Grillby and Cyra looked at each other, their expressions matched in how sudden the words they'd just heard were.

"Get some rest. We'll still be here," Grillby said at last. Cyra tucked Ember in a bit more and kissed her head, which was still warm. Warmer than a flame elemental normally was, anyways.

Grillby walked over to the opposite end of the bed. "Cyra?" he asked. "What?" the female asked, her eyes not leaving her daughter.

"I want to talk to you. Outside. This is something that we should've done years ago. But now that we're together, we'd might as well talk it over," Grillby said. That was when Cyra turned around. "What is it?" she asked.

"We need to talk about what caused us to divorce," Grillby said.

*****The only thing keeping me up right now: Caleb Hyles on YouTube. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	4. Chapter 4

*****Hello, everyone! I'm back with another chapter in which things... begin to get heavy. Just a little bit. Anyways, no more spoilers. Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Four: Whatever Happened?**

Cyra faltered for a moment. Then, she crossed her arms. "We don't need to," she said sternly.

"It's been years since we've seen each other. If you're going to fight tooth and nail with me the entire time that Ember's in the hospital, then you can at least give me the satisfaction of knowing why," Grillby reasoned.

He looked at his ex in hopes of at least a look in reply. But he couldn't even get that much. "You can at least tell me what you think brought us apart. I have my own views, but I'll hear you out first," he added.

_And bite the bullet,_ he thought. But that part was kept to himself.

That was what got Cyra to look over. "You remember when you got your restaurant in the Underground?" she asked.

"Yes. Right after you first told me that you were expecting Ember," Grillby recalled.

"I hardly even saw you for that entire nine months. Back then, I was surprised that you even came to the hospital," Cyra spat.

That was when Grillby began to get irritated. "I was running a _restaurant. _It takes time, especially since I'd just started it. But I came home as much as I could, which I told you a multitude of times that I was doing. And I remember that," he brought up.

"You could have spared more time than just nights! Especially after Ember was born. It's difficult looking after a newborn alone!" Cyra said.

"You say that as if I don't know that. But I hardly got to help look after her until we were divorced, after she turned one. Why didn't you let me be with the daughter that was just as much mine as she was yours?" Grillby asked, his voice rising.

However, Cyra didn't back down. Rather, she stood up. "Because if you didn't take care of anything but your stupid restaurant before Ember was born, then why would you have changed afterwards?!" she snapped. Grillby stood up, his leather shoes loud against the floor.

"It's my business, Cyra! I'm sorry that I wasn't at home every second, but I had to work! I worked and made sure my restaurant ran well so both you and Ember could have easy lives!"

His words seemed to linger in the air, filling the silence that fell between them after his outburst ended. "All I caused was an end to a marriage and a child to grow up with parents who fight," he said quietly. He sat back down.

Cyra tried to speak, but any words were caught in her throat. She growled, but sighed afterwards. Frustrated, she sat down, scowling to the panels that made up the floor.

But both elementals lost their emotional extremes when they heard a cell phone going off. Curious, Grillby checked his phone. It was a text. It read:

_I heard you yelling. If the divorce started with me and was about me, then I can fix it. You should have told me. Besides, this sickness hurts._

It was from Ember.

*****I warned you. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	5. Chapter 5

*****Hello, everyone! I'm hoping to get this done relatively soon, although I think it's going really well right now, because I have an idea for a new project that I'm going to start soon. But of course, I'm sporadic and scatterbrained and-hey, a squirrel!**

**Anyways, Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and I have to give a trigger warning for a bit of suicidal behavior. Without further ado, let's go!**

**Chapter Five: Cause, Effect, Prevention**

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Cyra said after seeing the text. She dashed, Grillby running right behind her. They burst into Ember's room, only to find her breathing tube in ashes on the floor. It was a matter of time before she started suffocating again.

But, she began to reach around into a tray of medical tools. Her eyes were numbly depressed as she surveyed the sterile equipment, trying to determine which one would give her the easiest and most painless death...

"EMBER BURKE FLAMESMAN!"

The young elemental jumped, falling back onto her bed. The full name... she was screwed now. She looked over and saw her parents. But she knew she couldn't speak; the air would choke her up.

Then again, that was what she wanted.

"Hi," she said flatly.

"What is this about?" Cyra asked. "I'm calling the nurses for a new tube," Grillby intervened briefly. He stepped away and pressed the call button multiple times.

"Let me dust! I ruined your marriage," Ember said. Her breaths were getting more and more shaky and shallow.

"It wasn't you, honey. It was your father. But we both need you to do well, okay? You're my family," Cyra said. She looked at Grillby, then to his daughter. "You're our family."

At that, after repeatedly pressing the button and explaining what was wrong to the medical staff. Grillby walked over to Ember. He took her hand, rubbing her warm back through the opening in the back of her hospital gown.

"This had nothing to do with you. Our divorce. However, we both need you. You're the product of our-" His voice caught on a hitch.

"Love," Ember whispered.

Grillby slowly nodded, glancing at his ex-wife briefly before turning back, adjusting his glasses. "Correct," he said simply, tone uneasy. Cyra was silent, now extremely aware of how close Grillby was to her.

After a few moments, a doctor came in. His name tag read Dr. Holland; he was Ember's doctor. "You need to keep this in until your lungs clear up some more," he chastised.

Ember remained quiet. She laid still as she was set back up with the tube. It was a relief to get to breathe easily once again, but she wouldn't admit it.

"Now then," Dr. Holland said after he was done with that, "is there anything else needed?"

Ember shook her head.

"Alright. Then I'll be back at six for your next x-ray, just to see where we actually stand. Coming in, you were unstable, and your lungs were pretty much in a panic. Once we give things a few hours to stabilize, we'll be able to get a better look and a better standpoint. Call me if you need anything else before then," Dr. Holland said. With that, he walked out of the room.

Ember pulled her sheets up to her chin. "Get some rest. We'll wake you up once Dr. Holland comes back for your x-ray," Cyra said. Ember crossed her arms over her chest, a look of dissatisfaction crossing her face. "Dad? Since I was at your hand and I gotta spend the night here... can you bring by my stuffed scarf mouse?" she requested.

A slight smile crossed Grillby's face. Ember had received a stuffed scarf mouse as a baby, and she'd slept with it to this day. "I'll get it when Dr. Holland takes you to get your x-ray," he said.

"Thanks," Ember said. As she slept, Grillby and Cyra had a few things silently in commons.

It was that they both had a _lot _of hard thinking to do after Ember was taken off for her x-ray.

*****Hopefully I wrote what I intended rising tension correctly. Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

*****Hello, everyone! Yeah, I had this written even before I uploaded the chapter yesterday because I was on a roll and I had nothing better to do with my time... that's unimportant! Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Six: Thinking Hard**

When Dr. Holland came in, he was quick to help Ember up and help her out of the room. That left two quite awkwardly-silent flame elementals alone with each other.

"I'm off to go get Ember's toy," Grillby eventually said. "Okay," Cyra said.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hardly even noticed when Grillby left the room.

XxX

The drive home and getting Ember's stuffed scarf mouse didn't take long. It was when Grillby passed his room that he paused. It used to be his _shared _bedroom. He went inside and dug into the bottom drawer of his nightstand.

It took a bit of time to find it, but there it was. An old, dusty picture from Grillby and Cyra's wedding day. It had been taken right after they'd officially become husband and wife. The woman he'd loved, married, and had a child with... she now hated him with a passion.

A numb depression had fallen over him for a short time after she'd left him, and even more so after the legal business was done. But time healed Grillby, and so did raising Ember. But now that she was in the hospital and he would be seeing Cyra for the next few days...

Grillby felt several things, and most of them, he couldn't begin to wrap his head around. But he would try.

XxX

Cyra, when she was alone, began pacing the floor. When she couldn't clear her head doing that, she went down the hall and came back with a drink from the vending machine. When she'd downed it all and was still just as she was before, she angrily crumpled up the bottle and threw it into the trash can.

She laid down on the hospital bed with a sigh. Her thoughts were on Grillby. God, why had Ember emphasized their past relationship?

"Because she tried to kill herself over our fight," Cyra mumbled. She hated that even more. She wanted to just leave Grillby behind and let him know just how she'd felt when she was expecting Ember and he was off at work, spending all of his time at that stupid restaurant.

All Cyra wanted was love. She just wanted a happy marriage and to raise her child in a good home. She knew that every relationship was a partnership, and that it was an effort from both ends. That both ends needed to give chance. But Cyra also knew that Grillby had blown his chances.

She wasn't so certain of that anymore, though.

XxX

By the time Grillby got back, Ember was back in her hospital room. "I brought you your scarf mouse," he said. Ember smiled, gladly taking the stuffed animal into her arms. "Thanks," she said.

"Cyra, I ran into a nurse on the way up. She said that visiting hours are almost over. I only got to go up here because I had to drop off the scarf mouse," Grillby explained.

Cyra stood up from her chair, although she was hesitant to do so. "Alright."

XxX

After saying goodnight to Ember, Grillby and Cyra left. The elevator ride and walk out to the parking lot were silent, making it seem like a lot longer of a trip than it actually was. Eventually, though, they did have to part ways.

"Tomorrow it is, then?" Cyra asked.

"Actually, I have to work tomorrow. I had some trainees for new employees lined up, so you don't have to deal with me," Grillby said. "You won't even take time off for your own daughter. Of course," Cyra said, crossing her arms. There was a sudden hand over her mouth.

"_Shut up, Cyra."_

With those ice-coated words, Grillby walked away.

*****And that's this chapter done. Be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7

*****Hello, everyone! I have returned to this story. Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Seven: The Very Next Day**

Ember was already awake when Cyra came to her room. "Hi, Mom," she said.

"Hey. Are you feeling any better?" Cyra asked, sitting down by the bed.

"My chest is still sore. And it's a bit hard to breathe still. But Dr. Holland came by earlier and gave me my medications. He said that he'd come by later, though. It gets really boring, being stuck in here," Ember explained.

Cyra took her hand gently. "You'll be out of here soon," she said.

"Yeah, I guess so. Dad sent me a text earlier today," Ember said.

Cyra crossed her arms. "I know, he ditched you to go to his stupid restaurant," she said.

"No, let me read you what he sent me," Ember said. She picked up her phone and read the message: "Good morning. I hope you get to feeling better soon, I know that this is rough on you. I won't be there today because I have to work, but I'll be there tomorrow, promise. I love you." With that, she dropped her phone onto the bed.

Cyra nodded, but kept quiet otherwise.

Ember watched her mother for a few silence moments. At last, she had to say something.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think about Dad?"

Cyra's gaze focused downward, and her expression turned to one of slight anger. "You know what I think," she said.

Instead of a reply, she heard clapping. Slow, sarcastic clapping.

"What?" she asked.

"Nice front. I know that. And I've known that for years now. But tell me how you _really _feel about Dad. What you _really _think about him. I know that you wouldn't put down your guard with him here, but he's not here. It's just us, and you can say whatever," Ember allowed.

Cyra raised an eyebrow. "I feel like this situation is normally reversed between a parent and their child," she commented.

"Mom, please?" Ember asked.

Cyra sighed. "Since you're apparently my counselor now and not my sick daughter, then alright," she said.

Ember sat up in her bed, folding her hands in her lap patiently. She knew that she was going to get an earful of something she would never get to hear again.

"Alright. It's not that your father's a bad person. He's actually a wonderful man. It's just... I was so young when I had you. We weren't even married when I found out about a little flame who would be born. We hurried to get married, all because we both wanted you to be born into a real family. Of course, he had to make a living to support us all... but I was so desperate for something stable. Someone who would take time, someone who would be there and care..." Cyra trailed off.

"So when Dad started working more, you thought he didn't care any more?" Ember guessed.

Cyra nodded. "Then I started acting selfish. It's just... I was thrown into this all so fast. It's not that I don't love you and your father, it was just all of the stress and the pressure of everything that caused me to feel so much of that resentment I did! I ended our marriage, and what's done has been done for well over a decade. Is that everything you wanted to know?" she asked.

Ember's eyes were still wide in shock of what she'd just heard. She took it off her face, however. "If that's how you really feel about Dad, then yeah. Thanks for telling me," she said.

"This is all... just our secret, isn't it?" Cyra asked.

Ember nodded and held out her pinkie. "Pinkie swear."

Cyra rolled her eyes at the silliness of it, but she smiled and locked pinkies with her daughter regardless.

As the day went on, Ember made a note of one thing that she had to mention. She normally didn't break a promise, but this thing that she'd heard in particular was important.

_"...it's not that I don't love you and your father..."_

*****Okay, little side note: I had on in the background an evolution of video game music in violin covers. Should I mention that Megalovania was thrown in for 2015? Anyways, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	8. Chapter 8

*****Hello, everyone! I'm back with a chapter that fits pretty solidly in with the last one, if that makes any sense. Well, whatever. Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, and let's go!**

**Chapter Eight: Something Important**

The next day came, and Grillby went up to the hospital. "Morning," he said kindly as he walked in and sat down.

"Hey. Mom texted this morning and said that the hospital staff wouldn't let her up because she was sick, so she's at her house today. It's just you and me for now," Ember explained.

"That saves me a headache," Grillby joked.

"Actually, I think... I think I should tell you something," Ember said.

"If it's more about how she can't stand me, then I'd rather not hear it," Grillby said.

"No, it's not that. She told me how she really felt about you. And I don't know if it was just her getting caught up in her words or if she was serious, but... if I understand correctly, she still loves you," Ember said. She felt a pang of guilt in her SOUL just then. But, she had her reasons for doing this.

Grillby sat back in his chair, genuine shock on his face as he pushed his glasses up slightly. "I never would've suspected that from Cyra," he said, more to himself than his daughter.

"Same here. I asked her this question, so I have to ask you. How do you feel about Mom? Be honest," Ember said.

Grillby sighed. "Ember, this really isn't something that you should be getting into," he said.

"Please, tell me. It's just you and me in here," Ember said.

At last, Grillby's resolve broke. "Fine. For the sole reasons that you're sick in the hospital, and... and after all these years, perhaps you have the right to know exactly what broke us up," he submitted.

"Okay," Ember said. She sat up cross-legged, waiting for the other half of the story.

"It was a bit of a mad scramble to get married. I'm sure that your mother mentioned that you were conceived before we got married. But... we were okay with getting married. A few months later, you were born, and we couldn't have been happier. But before I'd even met Cyra, I had plans for my restaurant. And she knew that, but she must not have liked it. I was trying my best, honestly. After all, that restaurant would be our main source of income. But I never meant to make Cyra hate me. We grew apart, and she finally decided to pull the plug on our marriage. You said that she might feel something for me?" Grillby asked.

Ember nodded. "It was insinuated, but yeah. But how do you feel?" she asked.

Grillby thought on that for a few moments. Time passed like molasses until he finally spoke.

"I still having feelings for her."

Ember smiled. "Then get outta here!" she said proudly. Grillby was confused. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"Mom might still love you. You just said that you have feelings for her. So do me a favor by going to Mom's house and telling her how you feel!" Ember elaborated.

A slight smile crossed Grillby's face. "You're something else," he said. He then hugged his daughter, kissing her forehead before going out. Ember laid back down.

About ten minutes later, Dr. Holland came in. "You look awfully happy," he commented. Ember only gave one sentence in reply.

"I'm pretty sure that I just revived a marriage."

*****And that's where I'm leaving this. Is it ironic that I didn't post the chapter with Cyra on Mother's Day? Well, still, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	9. Chapter 9

*****Hello, everyone! After "disposing of" a spider that scared the crap outta me, I'm here with the next chapter. Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Nine: Do You Remember?**

Grillby wasn't sure if the drive to Cyra's house was too long or too short. Either way, he'd used that time to try and prepared himself for whatever was to come when he went to his ex-wife. When he pulled up in her driveway and knocked on the door, it didn't take long to get a reply.

"Yes?" Cyra asked flatly. She wore sweatpants and a t-shirt, and her voice gave away that she at least had a head cold.

"Do you mind if I come in? I've got to talk to you," Grillby said. "Alright," Cyra said.

The two went inside to the living room and sat down, Cyra in a reading chair and Grillby on the couch. "What is it you want, exactly?" the female of the two asked.

"I was talking to Ember today, and... and I realized some things that brought up some questions that I need to ask you," Grillby said. "Like?" Cyra prompted.

Those were the things that Grillby had been thinking about on the drive over. "Do you remember the day that Ember was born?" he started.

Cyra's expression softened. "Yes. It was simultaneously the most painful and the happiest day of my life. Four hours in labor were completely worth it to get to see Ember for the first time, though. She... wasn't born too far away from where her room is now in the hospital, actually," she recalled.

"I remember it too. She was tiny, even for a newborn. And she was certainly a happy baby," Grillby said.

"Only if one of us was holding her, though. If we weren't holding her, then she got torn up," Cyra said.

"Oh, that made for some long nights," Grillby added with a slight laugh.

"And she kept wanting to sleep in our bed, too," Cyra laughed.

The two fell silent, but this time, they both felt a sense of warmth. A sense some sort of... happiness.

"And before that came the mad dash to get married," Grillby continued.

"The main concern was to get it done and done before I started showing, although a few people did ask if I'd put on weight," Cyra recalled. She personally had been offended then, but she knew that there had been a reasoning behind it.

"A bit rude to say that to someone on her wedding day, don't you think?" Grillby asked.

"Well, they had reasons. And my hips have not been the same since," Cyra said.

"It wasn't that harsh on your body. At least, not long-lasting," Grillby said.

Cyra opened her mouth to speak, but she paused. "Wait..." she said, getting the picture, "...why are you asking all of these questions?"

Grillby was anticipating that. At last, he really had to spill his thoughts, if not his SOUL as well.

"Talking to Ember made me realize something, and she sent me to tell you. I don't know if you feel the same way, but she suggested that you might, so... come here," he said.

Curious, Cyra moved over and sat with him. "What is it?" she asked.

"We were thrown into getting married. I was trying to start a business, you were pregnant, and we were both out of sorts. But Cyra..." Grillby sighed. Well, here it went.

"...I still love you. And I'd like to start over, and give our relationship a second shot."

Cyra was silent, eyes wide in shock. Her mouth opened and shut several time, a thousand words coming and leaving her all at once. At last, she had something to say.

"I will admit that I still have kept our wedding picture. We can give this another shot. And if all goes well-" She was stopped by a hand being held up.

"Let's take it a bit slower than that. We can start with this," Grillby said. He hugged Cyra, taking in the warmth, and kissed her cheek. "You might catch my cold," she warned. "I don't care," was Grillby's reply. They pulled away from each other, but their hands were still interlaced.

The moment was interrupted by Grillby's phone going off. The caller ID read that the call was from Ember. So, he picked it up right away.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad. I have a few things to ask you and one thing to tell you."

"Ask away."

"How's it going with Mom? And also, how's she feeling?"

"Ah, she's just got a head cold. And I believe we're trying a second time on our relationship."

"Awesome!"

"That's one way to put it, yes. What did you need to tell me?"

"Put me on speaker. I wanna tell you both this."

So, Grillby put his phone on speaker. "Hey, I'm sorry I couldn't come see you today," Cyra apologized.

"It's fine. Dr. Holland told me that my lungs have cleared up well, so I can go home tomorrow night! Um, with medication and other stuff," came Ember's voice over the speaker.

"That's great!" Cyra said, excitement in her voice. Grillby nodded to agree. They both heard on the other end a door opening and shutting.

"That's Dr. Holland, so I gotta go. You two love birds can stay at home and make up. Bye," Ember said. Then, she hung up. Grillby put his phone away.

"You know what she was insinuating with 'making up', don't you?" Cyra asked. "Yep. But we can start a little bit slower than that," Grillby said.

He put his arm around Cyra, picked up the TV remote, and started looking for a movie.

*****This used to be a fun place, but now we wear a sad fa-oh, you're done reading? Anyways, after this, there's one chapter left... which I've already written. I was on a roll. So, be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


	10. Chapter 10

*****Hello, everyone! Here we are, last chapter. I didn't intend to have an even number of ten going in, it just kinda wound up being that way... Anyways, Grillby and Ember belong to Toby Fox, Cyra belongs to me, and let's go!**

**Chapter Ten: As A Family (Final)**

The following day, Cyra had no more than a bit of a cough, so she was allowed to go into the hospital with Grillby. They went to stay the day with Ember.

And they were together, for once.

XxX

It was a strange sight for Ember.

She was accustomed to her mother causing tension for her father if they were in the same room, eventually making for an argument within a matter of minutes. But now, they could actually tolerate each other. More than that, even. Ember felt somewhat proud of herself.

That evening, Dr. Holland came in with a clipboard and a pen. "Alright. All you need is for Mom and Dad here to sign these release forms to be discharged. Also, there's a prescription that I called in, so be sure to go by the pharmacy and pick that up. Take it exactly as it instructs, or else you might be back here. And take it easy for the next few days," he instructed.

Grillby and Cyra both signed the form on the clipboard, then it was passed back to the doctor. He nodded his thanks before leaving.

"Freedom at last," Grillby said.

Ember smiled. "Thank God," she said. She got out of bed and wobbled a bit at first, but was otherwise steady. "They didn't let me up all that much," she clarified.

"Well, either way, I brought a change of clothes for you. I figured you would want it before we went home," Cyra said, taking said items out of her purse. Ember gladly took them and went to the bathroom to change in privacy.

"You keep everything in there, don't you?" Grillby asked.

"If I find the seventh human SOUL in here some day, I won't be all that shocked," Cyra shrugged. Grilly snorted. "I wouldn't be either," he said.

The two fell into a silence. Then, Grillby's hand went over Cyra's. "I'm glad you don't hate me any more," he said. "Let's just start with a kiss," Cyra replied. She leaned over and gave Grillby a kiss on the lips for once.

By the time they'd pulled apart, Ember was standing in her normal clothes. "Hey, guys? Do you think we can go out to eat?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me," Grillby said. "A little bit of a celebration, sure," Cyra said. So, they all three left the hospital.

As a family.

**The End**

*****And there you have it. The end of... whatever this happened to be. And I say the line about finding the seventh human SOUL in a purse to my mom all the time, although she doesn't get it. Well, be sure to leave a review on the way out and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!**


End file.
